A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend various events at Taste Washington as a member of the wine media. This was the first year I had gone to Taste Washington as a wine blogger, which made the experience truly extraordinary. Why? In years past, I had been to the event as either a wine consumer or winery volunteer. While both roles offered enjoyable experiences, they pale in comparison to the treatment I received as a wine blogger covering the weekend's events. Winemakers or winery staff who might have just poured me a glass were now...

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Posted by Thad W. at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After several seminars on Saturday and an afternoon of tasting on Sunday, I definitely feel more connected to the who, what and where of Washington wine. Overall, Taste Washington exceeded expectations in terms of the people met, the stories shared, and the wine enjoyed. In previous years, I had only attended the Sunday tasting event, never realizing how much I was missing by not going to the Saturday seminars. Seminars are one of the best ways to taste wine and learn more about the people and places behind each glass in front of you. Each session included a diverse...

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Posted by Thad W. at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I'm posting after attending a couple of fantastic seminars here at the Taste Washington event. This morning I attended a great panel discussion and multi-flight taste celebrating the wines of David Lake. It was an hour that went well beyond the bottle in terms of connecting folks to the person behind various Columbia Winery wines as well as the vineyards in our state. And I just finished a wonderful lunch seminar featuring wine and food pairings with real time commentary from the guest chef, Ilan Hall, and guest sommelier, Evan Goldstein. This was not only a well executed event, but...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you in Seattle, it is time to get your taste buds on and join hundreds of other wine enthusiasts at Taste Washington this weekend. On Saturday, there are a variety of seminars to learn more about our state's wine, combined with some interesting flights of wine. Sunday is the big event with over 200 wineries pouring current releases and dozens of restaurants offering a variety of food. Many wineries will be represented by their winemakers, providing an excellent opportunity to meet and get to know the people behind various Washington wines. Regardless of who might be pouring...

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Posted by Thad W. at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Thursday evening, the Washington Wine Commission (WWC) held a media reception to promote the upcoming Taste Washington on April 5 and 6. The event was attended by various media folks including those covering wine in the traditional press as well as a few bloggers. It was hosted by Robin Pollard, Executive Director, and Shayn Bjornholm, MS, Education Director, both of the WWC. Robin, Shayn and other members of the WWC were very hospitable, making their way around the room introducing themselves and offering their support toward media coverage for Taste Washington. As a blogger, it was interesting to...

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Posted by Thad W. at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)